Many mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other handheld and wireless computing and communicating devices, currently perform numerous and complex functions. Many voice-based services are designed for use with a telephone keypad and numeric entry, whereas many data-based services are designed for use with a QWERTY keyboard and text entry.
Mobile device manufacturers now produce a full range of mobile devices with different key layouts, including the traditional telephone keypad layout, the traditional QWERTY keyboard layout, and many other variations thereon including custom key layouts. However, one drawback for the manufacturers is that typically a different printed circuit board (PCB) is required for each key layout used on a different device. This is due to the fact that there is usually a one-to-one relationship between each contact, or dome switch, on the printed circuit board of the mobile device and each key in the key layout. As such, although a common mobile device housing may be used for devices having different key layouts, a different PCB is required for each key layout, resulting in increased cost to the manufacturer, which is typically passed on to the purchaser.